SVSU student visits South Korea to celebrate peace, honor sacrifice of service members

TITTABAWASSEE TOWNSHIP, MI — More than 60 years separated SVSU student Sara Reisinger's trip to South Korea from her grandfather's deployment there during the Korean War. Now, having visited memorials and cities throughout the country, Reisinger said she's gained a new appreciation for the sacrifice of those who served.

Reisinger traveled to South Korea to participate in the 2014 Youth Peace Camp, honoring the service of Korean War veterans. During her visit, South Korea was celebrating 61 years since the end of the bloody conflict.

Originally billed as a policing action by President Harry Truman, more than 36,000 American service members were killed in the conflict. An additional 92,000 Americans were wounded in the four-year conflict, and 8,176 American troops remain MIA even to this day.

From July 24-31, Reisinger explored war memorials, attended a peace celebration and even spent time at the Korean DMZ.

"It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Reisinger said. "I have friends from all over the world and I got to learn about their countries and cultures."

During the preceding six decades, Reisinger said South Korea has blossomed into a bustling nation, as opposed to the dirt roads and burned out buildings her grandfather described as commonplace within the war-torn nation.

Her grandfather, Jack Leaman, was deployed to Korea at 20-years-old, the same age as his granddaughter was during her visit.

Leaman was a part of the 51st Signal Battalion, which helped install telecommunications equipment across the southern part of the Korean peninsula. Leaman also guarded the only functioning bridge over the Imjin River during the war. Reisinger said more than 15 bridges now arch over the waterway.

"It was amazing to see how far they've come in 60 years," Reisinger said, comparing the South Korean capital of Seoul with New York City, both in scale and technological achievement.

Reisinger traveled to South Korea through an organization called Military Historical Tours, which offers visits to numerous formerly-embattled nations including Vietnam, Guam and the Philippines. With support from her local veteran's association, Reisinger used an additional $1,600 raised from an ice-cream social plus some savings to visit South Korea.

As a component of the visit, Reisinger carried the American flag in a multi-nation celebration of war's end. The armistice was signed by the two nations on July 27, 1953, though Reisinger noted the two nations are still opposed to one another. At the ceremony, Reisinger and 14 other American grandchildren of Korean War veteran's sang for South Korea's Prime Minister, which received extensive television coverage nationwide.

In addition to war memorials and cultural landmarks, Reisinger said she witnessed the ongoing tension between the two Korean states. She was greeted to the Korean DMZ by the site of 10-foot fences covered with razor wire, patrolled by American and Korean service members.

South Korean citizens are not allowed to visit the site, Reisinger said, and her visiting group had to obey strict orders. Tour participants were discouraged from making any sort of gestures or making extended eye contact with North Korean guards.

Across the mine-ladened demilitarized zone, guards pointed out a nearby North Korean village, an unusual sight according to Reisinger. Buildings with painted-on windows and doors, as well as a distinct lack of people, were perplexing to onlookers, though she was told guards rarely see the village's residents.

In her conversations with veterans on the trip, Reisinger said many were surprised by the Korean public's adoration.

"Veterans told me they were scared out of their minds during the war. Now, they come back 60 years later to find out they are heroes. It's mind-blowing just how much impact they had," Reisinger said.

RJ Wolcott is a reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-280-3850, or by email at rwolcott@mlive.com